Characterization of phychoactive plant pollen: a new tool in forensic investigations

Palynology, based on the micromorphological characterization of pollen and spores, can be a valid ally for the resolution of forensic cases. Since its first application in 1959 for a murder in Austria, this discipline has been applied to cases of illegal smuggling involving drugs, weapons, medicines, and money (1). Also in Italy, several examples of palynology applied to kidnapping and homicide crime solving have been reported. In particular, a close connection was found between forensic palynology and aerobiology, as a reference tool for establishing the season when unknown death occurred (2-4).The use of palynology is also useful to trace possible pollen contamination of drugs: e.g. in a seizure of a batch of drugs in New York in 1991 (5). It is also possible to solve cases of murder, rape, theft, and food fraud (6). Pollen can adhere firmly to any surface and resist decomposition, while its morphology can be a distinctive feature for the identification of plant species and habitats (1,4,6). The present study concerns the pollen of 12 species of psychoactive plants belonging to 9 families, including illegal drug plants (e.g. Erythroxylum coca; Lophophora williamsii), and plants used as legal alternatives to drugs (e.g. Leonotis leonurus; Brugmansia suaveolens), some of which are currently marketed on internet. Given the lack of literature in this study, we started to compile a palynological atlas of psychoactive plants, aimed at providing support in the forensic field. These data can been useful to trace the origin of illegal drugs, and to identify the most likely route of drug shipping (2). The selected pollen grains was sampled from herbarium specimens, the Reference Pollen Collection (Palinoteca), or prepared as fresh samples collected from the Botanical Garden of Genoa University and the Hanbury Botanical Garden of Ventimiglia. Unacetolyzed pollen was prepared in glycerin jelly containing basic fuchsin dye. The analysis was carried out on 40 pollen grains for each species at the magnification of 40x.The diagnostic features of pollen grains studied were: length of polar axis (P) and equatorial axis (E), pollen shape (P/E ratio), number and type of apertures, exine thickness and sculpture. For the two species belonging to Convolvulaceae (Ipomoea violacea and Argyreia nervosa), also spine length, interspinal distance, pore diameter, exine and nexine thickness, have been considered. Observations were carried out by using light and scanning electron microscopy. In some cases, the analyses showed slight morphological differences compared to literature data, probably due to a different number of measurements, while in other cases new morphological features were recorded. A web repository is being created to make morphometric data and pictures of psychoactive plant pollen available, thus providing a useful tool for forensic investigations

Intelligence and Autonomy in the Sat4EO+ Satellite

The responsiveness of an Earth observation (EO) service, in terms of the time from the initiation of satellite tasking after an End User request is accepted, until the availability of the Earth Observation product to the End User, is a key metric in many applications, such as security, disaster monitoring and nowcasting, and more generally in enhanced-NRT services. Elecnor DEIMOS is currently developing its next proprietary Very-High Resolution (VHR) small satellite [1][2], Sat4EO+, to meet current and upcoming market needs for Earth Observation products derived from a sub-meter optical imaging capability. Sat4EO+ is an agile low-cost ~200kg VNIR optical satellite, providing ~50cm native VHR imaging. In Sat4EO+, responsiveness has been included as a key performance parameter, with a requirement that the Sat4EO+ service shall provide responsiveness down to 10 minutes, globally, for high-priority products. This poster describes the approach employed by DEIMOS to achieve this responsiveness requirement below 10 minutes globally in the Sat4EO+ satellite. The responsive service is based on several key capabilities for small satellites, which, when employed in combination, lead to an intelligent satellite, with increased autonomy, that provides for an innovative service to the End User. These capabilities are: rapid global tasking, exploiting a permanent communications link to the Sat4EO+ satellite through a global high-rate geo-relay link; re-configurable data handling on-board the satellite, to manage both high and standard priority products and their transfer to the End User; on-board processing, through DEIMOS\u27 propriety Insight4EO HW/SW turnkey product embedding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, allowing for the generation of high-priority Earth observation products on-board the satellite and their direct transfer to the End User globally with very low latency (real-time), exploiting the global communications link and the relative small size of such products; autonomous task management on-board the satellite, to manage autonomously high and standard priority tasks, and perform tasks such as data prioritisation, thus maximising the overall duty cycle of the satellite and the service performance and ROI

Design and Analysis of a Formation Flying System for the Cross-Scale Mission Concept

The ESA-funded "Cross-Scale Technology Reference Study has been carried out with the primary aim to identify and analyse a mission concept for the investigation of fundamental space plasma processes that involve dynamical non-linear coupling across multiple length scales. To fulfill this scientific mission goal, a constellation of spacecraft is required, flying in loose formations around the Earth and sampling three characteristic plasma scale distances simultaneously, with at least two satellites per scale: electron kinetic (~10 km), ion kinetic (~100-2000 km), magnetospheric fluid (~3000-15000 km). The key Cross-Scale mission drivers identified are the number of S/C, the space segment configuration, the reference orbit design, the transfer and deployment strategy, the inter-satellite localization and synchronization process and the mission operations. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the mission design and analysis for the Cross-Scale concept and outlines a technically feasible mission architecture for a multi-dimensional investigation of space plasma phenomena. The main effort has been devoted to apply a thorough mission-level trade-off approach and to accomplish an exhaustive analysis, so as to allow the characterization of a wide range of mission requirements and design solutions

Mission Analysis for the Don Quijote Phase-A Study

The Don Quijote Phase-A study is a definition study funded by ESA and devoted to the analysis of the possibilities to deflect a Near Earth Object (NEO) in the range of 300-800 m diameter. DEIMOS Space S.L. and EADS Astrium have teamed up within this study to form one of the three consortia that have analyzed these aspects for ESA. Target asteroids for the mission are 1989 ML, 2002 AT4 and Apophis. This paper presents the mission analysis activities within the consortium providing: low-thrust interplanetary rendezvous Orbiter trajectories to the target asteroids, ballistic interplanetary trajectories for the Impactor, Orbiter arrival description at the asteroids, Orbiter stable orbits characterization at the asteroid, deflection determination by means of a Radio Science Experiment (RSE) as well as the mission timelines and overall mission scenarios

Characterization of Ingredients Incorporated in the Traditional Mixed-Salad of the Capuchin Monks

Recipes on the composition of the \u201csalad of the monks\u201d (Capuchin monks) have been reported in Italy since the 17th century. Different wild edible plants were highly regarded as an important ingredient of this mixed salad. Among these, some species played a key role for both their taste and nutritional properties: Plantago coronopus L. (PC), Rumex acetosa L., Cichorium intybus L., and Artemisia dracunculus L. In the present study, the micromorphological and phytochemical features as well as the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of extracts of these fresh and blanched leaves, were investigated. The extracts obtained by blanched leaves, according to the traditionally used cooking method, showed the highest content of bioactive compounds (total phenols 1202.31\u201310,751.88 mg GAE/100 g DW; flavonoids 2921.38\u201361,141.83 mg QE/100 g DW; flavanols 17.47\u2013685.52 mg CE/100 g DW; proanthocyanidins 2.83\u201316.33 mg CyE/100 g DW; total chlorophyll 0.84\u20131.09 mg/g FW; carbohydrates 0.14\u20131.92 g/100 g FW) and possess the most marked antioxidant (IC50 0.30\u2013425.20 \ub5g/mL) and anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 240.20\u2013970.02 \ub5g/mL). Considering this, our results indicate that increased consumption of the investigated plants, in particular of PC, raw or cooked briefly, could provide a healthy food source in the modern diet by the recovery and enhancement of ancient ingredients

Emerging Exotic Fruits: New Functional Foods in the European Market

The consumption of exotic fruits is rapidly increasing in European countries. Some of these products have attracted much interest due to their alleged properties of preventing malnutrition, over-nutrition, and disease, maintaining a healthy body. Scientific studies on these fruits are multiplying, including chemical characterizations and biological investigations on in vitro and in vivo experimental models. This review concerns four edible fruits: Hylocereus undatus (dragon fruit), Annona cherimola (cherimoya), Citrus australasica (finger lime), and Averrhoa carambola (carambola or star fruit). By screening biomedical databases, viz. Scopus, WOS, and PubMed, a total of 131 papers have been selected. Data reveals a wide series of biological effects that confirm traditional medicinal uses or suggest new therapeutic applications. Most studies concern problems related to nutrition, such as body redox balance, metabolic syndrome, and hepatoprotective effects, but other properties have been highlighted, including anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects, as well as cardiovascular and skin protection. Pharmacological investigations have also been focused on specific compounds, assuming a potential role in drug discovery. In summary, food products, byproducts, and single compounds derived from these plants could be exploited in the prevention of disease or for specific treatments of health problems

Plants Used In Artisanal Fisheries On The Western Mediterranean Coasts Of Italy

Background Artisanal fisheries in the Mediterranean, especially in Italy, have been poorly investigated. There is a long history of fishing in this region, and it remains an important economic activity in many localities. Our research entails both a comprehensive review of the relevant literature and 58 field interviews with practitioners on plants used in fishing activities along the Western Mediterranean Italian coastal regions. The aims were to record traditional knowledge on plants used in fishery in these regions and to define selection criteria for plant species used in artisanal fisheries, considering ecology and intrinsic properties of plants, and to discuss the pattern of diffusion of shared uses in these areas. Methods Information was gathered both from a general review of ethnobotanical literature and from original data. A total of 58 semi-structured interviews were carried out in Liguria, Latium, Campania and Sicily (Italy). Information on plant uses related to fisheries were collected and analyzed through a chi-square residual analysis and the correspondence analysis in relation to habitat, life form and chorology. Results A total of 60 plants were discussed as being utilized in the fisheries of the Western Italian Mediterranean coastal regions, with 141 different uses mentioned. Of these 141 different uses, 32 are shared among different localities. A multivariate statistical analysis was performed on the entire dataset, resulting in details about specific selection criteria for the different usage categories (plants have different uses that can be classified into 11 main categories). In some uses, species are selected for their features (e.g., woody), or habitat (e.g., riverine), etc. The majority of uses were found to be obsolete (42%) and interviews show that traditional fishery knowledge is in decline. There are several reasons for this, such as climatic change, costs, reduction of fish stocks, etc. Conclusions Our research correlates functional characteristics of the plants used in artisanal fishery and habitats, and discusses the distribution of these uses. This research is the first comprehensive outline of plant role in artisanal fisheries and traditional fishery knowledge in the Mediterranean, specifically in Italy